Nice Forensic officers at the scene of the lorry attackCredit:
Claude Paris/AP

But the atrocity in Nice, in which 80 people were killed, forced a change of strategy with Mr Hollande not only announcing a reassessment of the domestic terror threat, but also pledging to step up military activity in Syria and Iraq.

“We will maintain a high level of vigilance, the state of emergency will be maintained for three months,” Mr Hollande said.

“Human rights are being denied by terrorists, France is clearly their target. The nature of terrorism cannot be denied. The perpetrator has been killed, we do not know whether he had any accomplices.”

Mr Hollande said he would summon a meeting of the country’s defence committee today after which he and his prime minister, Manuel Valls, will go to Nice.